TWO stranded youths trying to get home to Ireland sparked a massive air and sea rescue costing thousands after getting lost in a stolen boat.

The teenagers seized the vessel when they found themselves stuck in Holyhead after missing their ferry to Dublin. But the pair got lost and were forced to call for help - thinking they were off the Irish coast.

Instead Carl Brennan and John Mahoney were just 10 miles off Wylfa in trawler Le-Bon Mawr. Last night the fuming boat owner told how he chased them through the streets of Holyhead after realising the extent of the damage caused to its engines.

The Irishmen were still being quizzed by police last night over the incident. And their escapade brought criticism from rescuers who spent hours searching for them.

They used Le-Bon Mawr's ship-to-shore radio to summon help at 10.30pm on Saturday evening. Believing they had crossed the Irish Sea, the clueless pair asked for the Irish coastguard - although they were off the Anglesey coast.

They were found three hours later by Holyhead lifeboat crew, which boarded the trawler and steered it back to port. The lads, believed in their late teens and from the Ballybough area of Dublin, confessed to the coastguard they had taken the boat without permission.

They were arrested by waiting police officers when they stepped ashore. At Holyhead police station they were cautioned but let go because officers believed no damage was caused to the boat.

Furious at the damage he claims they did to the engine, he stopped his car and gave chase while his wife Deborah dashed to the police station.

Officers sped to the scene and re-arrested Brennan and Mahoney on suspicion of criminal damage. Last night they were being held in custody over the incident.

Two lifeboats were launched in the huge rescue operation on Saturday evening, which is believed to have cost tens of thousands of pounds.

The RNLI crews were aided by RAF Valley's Sea King helicopter, which hovered overhead trying to locate the men with thermal-imaging equipment.

The coastguard was able to pinpoint their position to around 10 miles off Wylfa Head on Anglesey, and the 30-foot wooden fishing trawler was escorted back to Holyhead.

While the drama was unfolding out at sea, 38-year-old Mr Jones of Leonard Street, Holyhead, was woken by another fisherman telling him the Le-Bon Mawr was missing from its moorings at Holyhead's Fish Quay.

The dad-of-two said after landing his day's catch of plaice, sole and skate on Saturday afternoon, he tied up his boat and went home for a sleep. At midnight he raced round to Holyhead port and saw his boat being brought into port.

"I would rather not say what I said to those lads when they came ashore," he said.

"They must have thrashed the engine because there wasn't a drop of oil left in it. I will have to get engineers down to assess the damage. If I have to replace it, it will cost around #10,000, plus the fishing time I will lose.

"It's my livelihood, if I don't make a living I could lose my house. I have to make most of my money during the summer months because in winter you don't earn a lot.

"They ran the engine flat out and it looks like the engine blocks may be cracked."

A North Wales Police spokes-woman confirmed last night the men were in custody after being arrested a second time.